Leofard of Balley

Leofard of Balley was an Anglo-Saxon warrior who served under Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Stamford Bridge and the Battle of Hastings in 1066. He saw Godwinson as a great leader who could put a good army together, and he took part in the surprise attack on the Vikings at Stamford Bridge (where he said that his heart was warmed by the deaths of thousands of Vikings) before fighting at Hastings. He was demoralized when the army had to march with speed from York to Sussex in the south just five days after Stamford Bridge, walking 250 miles south to fight against William the Conqueror's army. He ultimately survived the defeat, which resulted in the conquest of England by the Normans.